Student Devotional - Week 35: Prophet Elisha: Equipped for God's Purpose

Key Verse: I Thessalonians 5:24 - "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

I remember the first time I was asked to fill in for the morning disc jockey at a local Christian radio station. I'd been a deejay in the 80s, but today's technology made radio a new adventure. The regular morning person taught me the basic computer skills for the job. He prepared me well, but I was still nervous on my first day. I made a few mistakes, but the training helped me to keep the station on the air for four hours.

Elijah was a mentor to Elisha. While Elijah was hiding out from Queen Jezebel, God told him to anoint Elisha as the next prophet. The two men spent ten years together. When God took Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire, Elisha was left to carry on the work.

When the time came for Elisha to do God's work without his mentor, Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak and struck the water of the Jordan River. The water parted, and the people watching knew God had called Elisha to be Elijah's successor.

God performed many miracles through Elisha; but most importantly, Elisha always spoke God's words in God's time.

You may be fortunate enough to have a mentor to train you to fulfill God's call on your life. Perhaps your mentor may be your youth minister or your parent. But the day will come when you must step out on your own and do God's work. You can trust God; He'll never call you to a task without giving you what you need to accomplish it.

Student Weekly Devotion Week 34: Prophet Elijah: Never Alone

Key Verses: James 5:17-18, "¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."

Sports fans love great match-ups like an all-star pitcher facing a home-run hitter or a great quarterback taking on a top defensive team. Sometimes the encounters become legendary-basketball's Larry Bird playing against Magic Johnson, or Muhammad Ali boxing Joe Frazier.

The Old Testament includes a story about a battle of historic proportions, and if they'd had big stadiums back then, this event would have been a sellout.

Elijah was fed up with the way the Israelites were wavering between worshiping God and Baal. So on famous Mount Carmel, Elijah challenged the prophets of the false god. Big crowds gathered to watch 450 of Baal's prophets attempt to get their god to burn up a sacrifice. Then it was Elijah's turn. God answered his two-sentence prayer, and fire fell from heaven.

Because Queen Jezebel was a big follower of Baal, she vowed to have Elijah killed after he embarrassed the prophets of her god. So Elijah ran for his life. Then, despite his victory on Mount Carmel, his fear of Jezebel caused Elijah to feel depressed and alone. He even prayed for God to take his life. During that time God ministered to Elijah and helped him see he wasn't alone. God was with him at all times.

Today, we have something available to us that Elijah didn't have in his day: The Holy Spirit of God living in us. When we feel sad and lonely like Elijah did, we don't have to ask God to appear for our comfort, because he already lives in us. And that's a comfort you can always depend on.

Student Devotional Week 33: Prophet Elijah: The Provision of God

Key Verse: 1 Kings 17:16, "For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah."

When Solomon died, the nation of Israel was shattered. Israel was made up of 12 tribes-each composed of descendants of one of Jacob's sons. The 10 northern tribes refused to follow Solomon's son Rehoboam. They chose Jeroboam as their king and abandoned the southern tribe of Judah. Meanwhile, Judah (along with the much smaller tribe of Benjamin) remained loyal to Solomon's son.

During this time of political tension, God began to raise up prophets to speak his words against the sins of the people. God spoke to the prophets in various ways, but each prophet was called to proclaim God's words to his people.

The prophet Elijah prophesied against the wicked King Ahab of the northern kingdom (Israel) and ended up fleeing for his life. God sent a drought to the region. Eventually, God sent Elijah to a poor window in the village of Zarephath. When Elijah asked her for bread, she told him she was down to her last bit of flour. Elijah told her if she'd bake him a small loaf of bread from her tiny supply of flour, God would provide for her and her son. The widow acted in faith, and God miraculously refilled her flour container each time she prepared a meal. When her son later died, the power of God brought the boy back to life.

God is always providing for his people. Sometimes we overlook the provision of God until we face difficult times. God took care of Elijah. He took care of the widow and her son. And he'll take care of you.

Student Devotional Week 32: King Solomon: The Dangers of Prosperity

Key Verse: Matthew 6:21, "For Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Have you ever thought about what you'd ask for if you were granted a wish? King Solomon was given an opportunity to ask God for anything.

Solomon became the king of Israel after the death of his father, David. One night during a dream, God appeared to Solomon and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Without hesitation Solomon told God he wanted wisdom to govern and to know the difference between right and wrong. Because God was so pleased with the request, he gave Solomon both wisdom and riches.

Solomon's reputation for being a man of wisdom quickly spread thoughout the world. Soon people flocked to ask the king for wise counsel. Solomon's wisdom grew and so did his wealth and fame. He had wealth, and he had 1,000 beautiful women as his wives and concubines. But that's where the trouble started. All of those foreign women led Solomon to ungodly worship. By the time he was an old man, his heart had turned away from God. The wisest man who ever lived did the most unwise thing: He allowed his heart to turn from God.

Jesus warned about the dangers of prosperity. Paul said the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Solomon lost his perspective and allowed what he had to become more important than what he believed. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).

Student Devotion Week 31: King David: The Devastation of Sin

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Psalm 101 was written during David's younger years. In it he spells out his position on holy living. He wrote that he'd be careful to lead a blameless life by staying away from evil. He also declared he'd keep a protective eye on the godly and not allow liars to enter his presence. David went so far as to proclaim that even those who served him would have to live a life above reproach.

When David reached middle adulthood, his high standards started to erode. One look at a beautiful woman and David quickly became an adulterer, a deceiver, and eventually a murderer. Sadly, he fell into a pattern of sin without feeling much guilt. Finally, when the prophet Nathan confronted him about his evil ways, David confessed his sin and repented. That's the end of the story, right? Wrong.

Today the entertainment industry floods television, movies, and music with stories of people sinning and suffering no consequences. That's not reality. David was forgiven, but he had to deal with family problems that resulted from his sin, including the death of some of his children and a rebellious son who almost cost him his throne. Look at David's later years if you believe sin comes without a high cost.

Sin is a big deal to God. God forgives freely, but negative consequences for sinful actions still affect not only you and those around you now, but also future generations. As it's been said, you're free to choose your actions, but your not free to choose the consequences of your actions. How you deal with sin is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a Christian.

Student Devotion Week 30: King David: Seeking God's Heart

Key Verse: Acts 13:22 "After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'"

When David was young, he was a shepherd who looked after his father's sheep. He spent his days looking for grazing land, protecting the sheep from wild animals, and thinking. A shepherd's life is lonely, and David had a lot of time to think about God. As a musician, he took many of those thoughts and created some of the great passages in the book of Psalms. David had a heart for God.

During those years the Israelites were locked in a fierce battle with the Philistines. Their chief warrior was a giant known as Goliath. He stood nine feet tall and carried a spear with a tip that weighed 15 pounds. While David was delivering some food to his three brothers serving in the Israelite army, he heard the challenger from Goliath. David couldn't believe no one would fight this man who dared to defy the army of the living God.

With five smooth stones and a sling, David took on the giant. The years David spent in solitude as a shepherd prepared him for this battle. While he was experienced with a sling, a weapon he'd used to protect his sheep form wild animals, his greatest assets were a heart for God and a belief that with God anything was possible. Armed with courage and the Spirit of the Lord, David took down the giant with one stone.

The Bible states that David was a man after God's own heart. And his love for God had intensified during his lonely days as a shepherd boy. So when it came time to stand up to a pagan giant, David took the challenge because of his deep love for God.

David would soon become the king of Israel. God was preparing to use David in a powerful way.

Student Devotion Week 29: David and Jonathan: A Deep Friendship

Key Verse: John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The story of David and Jonathan is a story of true friendship. David was commissioned to calm King Saul's spirit with the harp. When David met Jonathan, Saul's son, they became instant friends. That friendship would be tested many times as Saul's jealousy of David grew.

God was with David. His victories in battle made him a celebrity. King Saul became jealous and tried many times to kill David. Once Jonathan talked his father out of a murderous plan. Another time Jonathan helped David escape from his father. Jonathan put his own life on the line for his friend David.

Because he was the oldest son, Jonathan was the heir to the throne of Israel. Yet Jonathan recognized the anointing God had placed on David, and he told him that one day David would be the next king. Jonathan was perfectly content with the idea of serving alongside David as second in command. But his wish would never come true. Both Jonathan and Saul died during a battle with the Amalekites, David mourned and fasted over the death of his good friend.

If you want to have good friends, then you have to be a good friend. David and Jonathan were willing to die for each other. David summed up his love for his friend in a funeral song he wrote about Saul and Jonathan (see 2 Samuel 1:17-27).

Wouldn't you love to have a friend like that? Are you willing to be a friend like that?